Safety knife switch



INVENTOR From/r Fix.

ATTCRNEY F. FIX

SAFETY KNIFE SWITCH Filed Sept. 25, 1919 Oct 16, 1923.

WITNESSES: N XQ MM Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK FIX, 0F IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY KNIFE swrrcn'.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial no. 320,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK FIx, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Knife Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switchboard structures and particularly to remote-controlled operating mechanisms for switches mounted on switchboards.

One object of my invention is to provide a. device of the above indicated character that shall permit a double-throw, knife-blade switch to be positioned on the rear of a switchboard panel and an operating mechanism therefor that shall occupy a substantially minimum amount of space.

Another object of mv invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a switch, mounted on the rear of a switchboard, that shall be relatively simple in construction and effective in operation, such mechanism comprising a handle that shall, at all times, occupy a position corresponding to the position of the blade member of the switch.

Heretofore, it has been usual, in certain switchboard structures, to provide switches of various ty es on the rear sides thereof and switch operating mechanisms or handles on the front sides. These have usually comprised switches having relatively simple movements, such as a pivoted switch arm adapted to move through a relatively slight angle or a switch arm adapted to turn in a plane parallel to the board, and these movements have been of ready translation from an operating handle at the front of the boards.

In practicing my invention, I provide a double-throw pivoted-arm switch,- mounted on the rear side of a switchboard panel, the pivoted member of which operates in a plane at substantially right angles to the panel. At the front of the panel, an operating handle, operatively connected to the pivoted member, is adapted to occupy, at all times, a position corresponding to the position of the pivoted member.

Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings, is a side view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of a switchboard structure, a switch and an operating mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail front view of the switch shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a portion of a switchboard structure and the operating mechanism embodied in my invention.

In general, my device comprises a main switchboard panel 1, an auxiliary switch panel 2 which is suitably positioned parallel to, and spaced from, the rear of the panel 1, as by bolts 3 and sleeves 4, a usual type of double-throw, double-pole, knife-blade switch 5 mounted on the panel 2, an operating handle 6 mounted at the front side of the panel 1, and an operating mechanism 7 connecting the handle 6 to the switch 5.

The handle 6 is pivoted, by a pin 8, to projections or lugs 9 on a bracket 10 that is supported on the panel 1 by the bolts 3 and has inwardly-extending integral boxlike portions 11 and 12 disposed in an opening 13 in the panel 1. The pivot end of the handle 6 is provided-with a segmental gear portion 14 adapted to mesh with, and having a gear ratio of substantially two to one with respect to, a pinion 15 that is mounted in the portion 11 on a pin 16 having bearings in the side walls of the portion 11. The pin 16 extends through a wall 17, between the portions 11 and 12, and has, on one end, in ,the portion 12, a bell-crank lever 18 that is pivoted, at its outer end, by a pin 19, to one end of a link 20. The link 20 is pivoted, at its other end, by a pin 21, to a bracket 22 that is rigidly mounted on an insulating cross-beam 23 extending between blade members 24 of the switch 5.

In operation, when the handle 6 is moved outwardly from the position shown adjacent the panel in Fig. 1, the pinion 15 will be turned in the counter-clockwise direction, thereby moving the pin 19 and the link 20 downwardly. An intermediate open position of the blades 24, thus effected, is indicated in broken lines above the horizontal center line of the pinion 15. When the handle 6 has been turned 90, to a position perpendicular to the panel 1, the blades 24. the link 20 and the bell-crank lever 18, will be in register, on a plane perpendicular to the panels 1 and 2, and the bell-crank lever 18 turned 180 with respect to its position shown in Fig. 1. When the handle 6 is moved to its lower position, the pinion 15 continues its counter-clockwise movement and moves the blades 24 to their lower closed position; an intermediate position of the blades, during this movement, being shown in broken lines below the horizontal center line of the pinion 15.

By reason of the arrangement of parts, and the reduction in gearing between the gear 14 and the pinion 15, an extremely compact device is provided in which the position of the handle 6 is, at all times, an indication of the position of the blades 24:, thereby reducing the likelihood of a mistake by an operator. By having the switch 5 at the rear of the panel 1 and insulated from the handle 6, the operator is thoroughly protected against contact with live parts.

While I have shown and described a particular form of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A double-throw, remote-control switch comprising, in combination, a handle lever pivotally supported upon a panel board for rotation 'in a plane at right angles thereto and provided with a gear portion, a movable contact member, and a pair of stationary contact members located at a point re-- moved from the panel and on the side opposite to that occupied by the handle lever, a bell-crank lever provided with a gear member adapted to mesh with the first-named gear member and of relatively small ratio, and a connection between the bell-crank lever and the movable contact member whereby said movable contact member is actuated by movement of the handle lever.

2. A double-throw, remote-control switch comprising, in combination, a handle lever pivotally supported upon a panel board for rotation in a plane at right angles thereto and provided with a ear portion, a movable contact member, and a pair of stationary contact members located at a point removed from the panel and on the side opposite to that occupied by the handle lever, a bellcrank lever provided with a gear member adapted to mesh with the first-named gear member and of relatively small ratio, said gear members bein of such relative proportion that the position of the handle lever, at any stage of its movement, will correspond to the position occupied by the movable contact member.

3. .A double-throw, remote-control switch comprising, in combination, a handle leven pivotally supported upon a panel board for rotation in a plane at right angles thereto and provided with a ear portion, a movable contact member, and a pair of stationary contact members located at a point removed from the panel and on the side opposite to that occupied by the handle lever, a bellcrank lever provided with a gear member adapted to mesh with the first-named gear member, and a toggle member connected to the movable contact member adjacent its point of engagement with the stationary contact members and to the bell-crank lever whereby the movable contact member will be actuated by movement of the handle lever, the ratio of the two gear members being such that the bell-crank lever travels through substantially double the distance travelled by the handle lever. v

4. A switch structure comprising, in combination, a handle lever pivotally supported at one side of a panel board, a movable contact member pivotally supported adjacent to one of its ends at a oint remote from the panel board, two stationary contact members disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal support for the movable contact member, a bell-crank lever pivotally supported adjacent to the handle lever, co-operating ear members carried by the handle lever an the bell-crank lever, respectively, and a toggle connection between the bell-crank lever and the free end of the movable contact member, the gear members being so proportioned that, upon movement of the handle lever through a portion of a circle, the gear member carried by the movable contact member will complete substantially a full circle of rotation, thereby carrying the movable contact member out of engagement with one stationary contact member and into engagement with the other stationary contact member.

5. A switch structure comprising, in combination, a handle lever pivotally supported at one side of a panel board, a movable contact member pivotally supported adjacent to one of its ends at a point remote from the panel board, two stationary contact; members disposed at opposite sides of the pivotal support for the movable contact member, a bell-crank lever pivotally supported adjacent to the handle lever, cooperating gear members carried by the handle lever and the bell-crank lever, respectively, and a toggle connection between the bell-crank lever and the free end of the movable contact member, the gear members being so proportioned that the position occupied by the handle lever will indicate the position occupied by the movable contact member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of Sept,

FRANK FIX. 

